The present invention pertains to improvements in the field of entertainment. More particularly, the invention is directed to a passageway having a virtual reality environment through which a person can travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,908 discloses a tunnel structure capable of accommodating a number of persons in an audio-visual environment. The tunnel structure includes a main cylindrical corridor and a conveyor-bet-driven bottom floor for transporting the persons from one end of the corridor to an opposite end. The main corridor comprises an inner wall being almost totally constituted by a plurality of adjacent image-producing screens, of translucent nature. The main corridor may be closed at each end thereof by extendable doors. The doors and the walls of the corridor comprise therewithin cameras which project images onto the inner side of the screens.
Although the above tunnel structure is capable of producing a total audio-visual environment, it is capable of doing so only when the doors are closed, thus restricting the number of persons travelling through such a tunnel structure. Moreover, the latter does not allow the persons travelling therethrough to benefit from exercise.
It is therefor an object of the present invention to overcome the above drawbacks and to provide a passageway capable of providing a virtual reality environment, regardless of the number of persons travelling therethrough, and enabling such persons to benefit from exercise while enjoying a scenic panorama.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a passageway having a virtual reality environment through which a person can travel. The passageway of the invention has an elongated pathway with curved sections and opposed sidewalls, the sidewalls being formed of a material adapted to receive a projected image, and projection means associated with specific portions of each sidewall for projecting a different image on each sidewall portion. The images projected on adjacent portions of each sidewall form a continuous panorama from an entrance end of the passageway to an exit end thereof. At least sections of the images are being visible to a person travelling through the passageway when looking forward along a longitudinal axis of the pathway.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sidewalls each have an inner surface facing the pathway and an outer surface adapted to receive the projected images such that these images are visible from the inner surface. Preferably, the sidewalls are formed of a translucent screen material.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sidewalls define first and second inner sidewalls, and first and second outer sidewalls are disposed in spaced-apart relation to the first and second inner sidewalls, respectively. The projection means comprise a first series of independent image-projectors mounted on the first outer sidewall between the first inner sidewall and the first outer sidewall, and a second series of independent image-projectors mounted on the second outer sidewall between the second inner sidewall and the second outer sidewall.
According to another preferred embodiment, the passageway further includes a topwall formed of the aforesaid material and further projection means associated with specific portions of the topwall for projecting a different image on each portion of the topwall. The images projected on adjacent portions of the topwall form another continuous panorama from the entrance end of the passageway to the exit end thereof. Preferably, the topwall has an inner surface facing the pathway and an outer surface adapted to receive the images projected by the further projection means such that these images are visible from the inner surface of the topwall.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the topwall defines an inner topwall and an outer topwall is disposed in spaced-apart relation to the inner topwall. The further projection means comprise a third series of independent image-projectors mounted on the outer topwall between the inner topwall and the outer topwall.
Persons travelling through the above passageway on foot or roller-blades or by bicycle can benefit from exercise while enjoying a scenic panorama, in a virtual reality environment.